Dash of Spice for New Cha, Cha, Cha

When the restaurant Cha Cha Cha first opened in a tiny building on the eastern end of Melrose Avenue, its bright and spicy Caribbean-Latin food was new to most people in the Southland. That was five years ago. Since then, there have been several imitators. Even the original partners have spun off other restaurants in the spirit of Cha Cha Cha.

The latest, from chef Toribio Prado, is Cha Cha Cha in Encino. The first thing you notice: It’s bigger than the original. Located in a former fish house, the white-washed dining room, filled with tropical-colored art and animal objects, looks a little like a children’s playroom. Brightly colored chairs in orange and green and aqua have high wooden backs cut in patterns that mimic the pretty tissue-paper cutouts you often see hanging at Mexican celebrations.

The food should be familiar to those who’ve eaten at Cha Cha Cha on Melrose. There’s Prado’s good, spicy corn chowder and fiery camarones negros, shrimp in a dark and complex chile sauce. Chicken, pasta and even pizza get the tropical treatment--sometimes with black beans and fruity salsas, sometimes with plantains and citrus marinades. It’s all food for fun--at easy-to-take prices.

* Cha Cha Cha, 17499 Ventura Blvd., Encino, (818) 789-3600. Entrees $8-$19.