Kitchen fit for a (Vi)king

Infallibly, behind every great chef stands an impeccably equipped kitchen. What good is the perfect rack of lamb if it is preceded by a wilted salad? Or accompanied by a weak cabernet? Precisely why a majority of chefs, professional or amateur, aim to have a kitchen that would enable them to whip up the perfect meal. I am far from being the chef par excellence that I would like to be, but I would like to choreograph a kitchen that will enable me to rinse, mince, sautee, and bake with the minimum of movement. A kitchen so compact that every component works within easy distance of each other. A chef’s dream kitchen, in other words.

Every time I watch some of the world’s best chefs (Wolfgang Puck, Bobby Flay, Martha Stewart, Molto Mario,) demonstrate their famous recipes on the Food Network, I notice that their well-appointed kitchens are equipped with Viking range hoods and refrigeration system. I often wondered what this brand was as it did not sound familiar to me. Not that I am such a connoisseur of home appliances. I only know the familiar ones that we grew up with, like White Westinghouse, Kelvinator, GE, Sharp, Philips. And for the past many years, I have been using La Germania stove and ovens as that seems to be the most practical in Manila. Recently, my interior designer friend asked me to accompany her to a showroom on the 5th Level of the Bridgeway at SM Megamall. She claimed that her very finicky client insisted on nothing but the best kitchen equipment, which meant the best range and the best refrigeration system that are sold in the country today. And the client mentioned that if the brand Viking were around, his wife would have only that. I was glad I went with her as a new perspective of kitchen equipment unfolded before my eyes. Instantly, I felt a desire to become a chef. If somebody had handed me an application to the Cordon Bleu Culinary School in Paris, I would have signed it without blinking. The Viking model kitchen in that showroom was the kitchen of my dreams! I envisioned myself wearing a chef’s toque and proudly cooking a fantastic dinner for my closest friends in that kitchen.

Young entrepreneur Frederick Te discovered the Viking line of kitchen equipment during one trip to the USA. He and his wife were so impressed by the qualities of Viking that they decided to buy the range and refrigerator for use in their own home. After one year of using Viking, he decided to add Viking to the family’s line of kitchen equipment. The Te family has been in the appliance business for the past 30 years, having brought the famous La Germania range line to the Filipino market. Their brands also include Amana, which is strictly refrigeration, and a slightly more upscale brand, Fisher and Paykel, which includes ranges, refrigeration, and laundry in its product line. Frederick had to face the challenge of convincing the Viking Corporation to give him the exclusive distributorship of the Viking line. He knew that the Viking directors only would partner with a strong company. The track record of La Germania and Fisher and Paykel sales reinforced their bid for the exclusive distributorship. After slightly over a year of negotiations, Frederick got his contract.

The Viking Range Corporation was founded by Fred E. Carl Jr., a fourth generation building contractor. When he was designing his own home in 1980, his wife wanted a heavy-duty, classic-looking range like her mother’s old Chambers, which had long been out of production. He considered the possibility of using a standard commercial range in their home, but after much deliberation, he knew this was not practical as it would consume excessive energy and would include high heat output and dimensions which were not designed for typical residential cabinetry. Carl felt that the ideal solution would be to develop a hybrid range that would combine the most desirable features of both a commercial range and the old Chambers range his wife so badly wanted. In 1984, he decided to work on developing such a model himself, and after more than two years, the engineering and certification of the first Viking range materialized.

In the years to follow, new investors allowed the company to grow and to continue its aggressive new product development. It has expanded its product offerings now to encompass the entire kitchen, both indoors and outdoors. In addition to freestanding ranges and ventilation hoods, the current Viking product line includes built-in range tops and cook tops, built-in ovens, warming drawers, range hoods, downdraft ventilation systems, dishwashers, trash compactors, food waste disposers, refrigerator freezers, wine coolers, and outdoor grills. At the turn of the millennium, Viking introduced the new, highly innovative Designer series, adding sleek curves and fresh, contemporary aesthetics to the full Viking kitchen. In 2002, Viking Range Corporation moved into a new category of premium culinary products, including cookware and cutlery, with premium small electrical appliances under development. This new venture is proving to be yet another successful expansion of the Viking brand.

Viking clients could choose different motifs for their kitchen. There are 14 designer finishes to complement any kitchen style, from Tuscan to modern to antique to traditional. Many famous people the world over use only Viking. Among their famous clients are Oprah Winfrey, Dustin Hoffman, Cliff Robertson, Lauren Bacall, Jane Fonda, Bruce Willis, Michael York, Glenn Close, Richard Dreyfuss, Madonna, Andy Williams, John McEnroe, Greg Norman, Bruce Springsteen, and countless others. Even the second floor kitchen of the White House uses only Viking. In our country, I could mention the US ambassador, two ex-presidents, a mega star, a controversial TV talk show host, some diplomats, a taipan’s whole family as among those who use only Viking appliances.

One of these years, I will have the time to study a course in an haute cuisine school like Cordon Bleu in Paris or in Marcella Hassan in Florence. And when that happens, I will not settle for anything less than a fully equipped Viking kitchen. After all, a great chef deserves a kitchen fit for a king. And for me, it’s no other than a Viking kitchen.