About Spice Monkey
THE BEGINNING: SPICE MONKEY RESTAURANT
Spice Monkey’s first incarnation started in 2007 as a restaurant which was constructed in the historic Howden Building in downtown Oakland. From the beginning it was a labor of love. When her team moved into this space, they took extensive measures to restore tiles and remodel to keep the integrity of the interiors original design when it was a 1920s tile showroom. Their goal was to create a beautiful, enjoyable atmosphere for the community with nourishing food.
Spice Monkey Restaurant was committed to creating a delicious “Globally Inspired Cuisine” utilizing California’s homegrown abundance. All of the dishes are made with great care and attention to flavor using only the freshest ingredients.
The Spice Monkey Restaurant menu, like Kanitha’s life story, was eclectic and flavorful. Throughout her life she was invited into the homes of people from around the world, blessed to experience a variety of family and cultural food traditions. She took these experiences and used them to create dishes which bring together spices, culinary traditions and ingredients form around the world.
Kanitha’s passion for blending flavors from around the world inspired her to create unique blends of spices, marinades and rubs, which was the heart of the food at Spice Monkey. The herbs used for these creations were, whenever possible, grown by Kanitha herself or sourced from organic growers. Hand crafted spice-blends, loose leaf teas, dressings and hot sauces made the magic of Spice Monkey.
THE FUTURE: SPICES AND TEAS
We are excited to announce that Spice Monkey will continue globally. We will officially launch and distribute our first packaged tea and spice line in spring of 2018. Our goal is to share Kanitha’s hand crafted recipes, spice-blends and loose leaf teas to be enjoyed in the comfort of your home, where ever you are in the world.
Spice Monkey’s first incarnation started in 2007 as a restaurant which was constructed in the historic Howden Building in downtown Oakland. From the beginning it was a labor of love. When her team moved into this space, they took extensive measures to restore tiles and remodel to keep the integrity of the interiors original design when it was a 1920s tile showroom. Their goal was to create a beautiful, enjoyable atmosphere for the community with nourishing food.
Spice Monkey Restaurant was committed to creating a delicious “Globally Inspired Cuisine” utilizing California’s homegrown abundance. All of the dishes are made with great care and attention to flavor using only the freshest ingredients.
The Spice Monkey Restaurant menu, like Kanitha’s life story, was eclectic and flavorful. Throughout her life she was invited into the homes of people from around the world, blessed to experience a variety of family and cultural food traditions. She took these experiences and used them to create dishes which bring together spices, culinary traditions and ingredients form around the world.
Kanitha’s passion for blending flavors from around the world inspired her to create unique blends of spices, marinades and rubs, which was the heart of the food at Spice Monkey. The herbs used for these creations were, whenever possible, grown by Kanitha herself or sourced from organic growers. Hand crafted spice-blends, loose leaf teas, dressings and hot sauces made the magic of Spice Monkey.
THE FUTURE: SPICES AND TEAS
We are excited to announce that Spice Monkey will continue globally. We will officially launch and distribute our first packaged tea and spice line in spring of 2018. Our goal is to share Kanitha’s hand crafted recipes, spice-blends and loose leaf teas to be enjoyed in the comfort of your home, where ever you are in the world.
Chef Kanitha Matoury
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Chef Kanitha Matoury is best known for her welcoming personality and her expression of creativity through spice-blends, loose leaf tea creations and serving nourishing food.
She has been a dynamic entrepreneur since 2005 when she owned her first cafe in San Francisco. Kanitha is a visionary, a project creator, and doer. She's passionate about building community and making dreams come true when others do not believe it's possible. As a retired chef, in 2015 she opened Howden Market and has begun a new career in commercial real estate. Her passion for Spice Monkey will continue to live on through her custom blend spice and tea line which will launch in spring of 2018. |
Howden Building
The Spice Monkey Restaurant & Bar was located in the Howden & Sons Tile Company building. The Howden & Sons Tile Company bulding was owned and operated by master tiler, Robert Howden, Sr. from 1893 to 1926.
The 1920s were a “Golden Age” for tile manufacturing in the U.S., and this building is the only tile showroom from that era known to survive nearly intact. During the years his company was in business, Mr. Howden and his team of tile setters decorated the interior and exterior walls of the building with tiles donated from a vast array of tile manufacturers from around the country.
Mr. Howden’s intention was for his sons to continue the operation of his tile business in years to come, but his sons declined and the building was later sold. The building was declared an Oakland Historic Landmark on November 13, 1984. Fortunately, during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the building’s unique design and structure remained unharmed.
CREATING HARMONY WITH HISTORY
A few enhancements were made to the space so as to work in harmony with the original
design.
The 1920s were a “Golden Age” for tile manufacturing in the U.S., and this building is the only tile showroom from that era known to survive nearly intact. During the years his company was in business, Mr. Howden and his team of tile setters decorated the interior and exterior walls of the building with tiles donated from a vast array of tile manufacturers from around the country.
Mr. Howden’s intention was for his sons to continue the operation of his tile business in years to come, but his sons declined and the building was later sold. The building was declared an Oakland Historic Landmark on November 13, 1984. Fortunately, during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the building’s unique design and structure remained unharmed.
CREATING HARMONY WITH HISTORY
A few enhancements were made to the space so as to work in harmony with the original
design.
These included:
- Using a commercial pressure washer and hot water to clean 20% of the tiles. The other 80% of the tiles were more delicate, some of which were covered with paint; they needed to be cleaned by hand.
- Replacing missing wall tiles with originals found in the building’s basement and other areas of the restaurant.
- Reassembling and reconstructing many of the broken tiles back together.
- Re-running pipes underground to make the water fountain functional.
- Stripping paint and plaster which had covered the tiles inside of the fountain.
- Scrubbing the fireplace to remove blackened and greasy areas and restore the original color.
- Hiring a specialty artist craftsman to faux finish the walls using towels by hand in order to create a historic look.
In order to create a modern day feel, husband and wife team- Guy and Kanitha added in a bar area. The bar was built from scratch out of recycled wood and has its foundation built above the tiling using anchors between the grout. This was done so that if the bar were removed, there will be no trace of damage along the tiles which lie beneath.
Stained glass was framed and installed onto the upstairs loft windows to diffuse the view of the parking lot across the street. And, an outdoor garden on the ground floor was added to create a more inviting entry.
