Food enthuses people much more today than it seemed to 10 years ago. Innovative fine dining joints are popping up around Chicago like dandelions, many of which becoming only a trail of fuzzy white seeds after their first couple of years. You need an edge or theme – something that draws the guests in with the expectation that they are attending an event, not just a meal.

iNG Restaurant’s niche is “flavor tripping,” using the miracle berry (m-berry) as a key ingredient in the menu to enhance cuisine enjoyment. Chef Homaro Cantu’s cooking plays on the m-berry’s ability to deceive taste buds, turning sour and bitter into sweet and savory. The m-berry originates in West Africa, scientifically named synsepalum dulcificum.

When it comes to lively and inventive, iNG surely looks the part. The natural wood interior is enhanced with red and white accents. Elegant white lights dangle from the ceiling and diners lounge in plastic, bowl-shaped red chairs and on plush red couches. Red fabric rectangles hang on the wall like the sound-absorbing panels in a high school band room. A retractable wall painted graffiti-style divides the dining area and can be fully closed to create a private dining space.

Cantu gives a playful personality to fine dining in both Moto (his first restaurant, still open and thriving) and iNG. Cantu installed a cutting-edge laboratory in the kitchen of Moto and quickly became a key player in molecular gastronomy. At iNG, the themed menu changes every several weeks. My first iNG experience featured a Rock & Metal Menu with courses paying tribute to Black Sabbath and Metallica.

My most recent visit to iNG with my brother is perfect for a sibling outing. The menu’s theme “Wonder Years” uses nostalgia as an ingredient to enrich the meal.

The 10-course tasting menu opens with a “Developing Senses” course to get diners acquainted with the effects of the m-berry. Our server instructs us to sip the amuse – a citrus beverage, sour and topped with a charred orange slice – and then eat the m-berry (served in pill form) before knocking back the rest of the course. To make sure the m-berry is working its magic, we test the effects with a slice of lemon (sour and strong before the m-berry and tasting like lemonade after).

The next course, Hidden Valley, reminds us of dipping carrots and broccoli into ranch dressing at lunchtime and tickles our pupils as much as our taste buds. The following Shrimp Cocktail course brings the favored appetizer up a notch with capers, a Bloody Mary powder and a “formula” pairing of celery root, horseradish, black pepper and vodka.

The Alphabet Soup is a cheesy and hearty take on the Campbell’s classic, with floating letters made out of the same material as Listerine breath strips (minus the minty flavor). The Three Little Pigs course highlights the versatility of pork in a salty pork shoulder soup, house-made pork rinds and a succulent piggy bao. 

The Duck Waffles course was the kookiest of all, served on a slab of metal that reminded us of Battleship with its right-angled constructing view of the diner across from you. We indulged in some more m-berry during this course, eating about half of the buttery waffle and fried duck square before the m-berry, and then devouring the rest.  A tangy vinegar topping served in a dropper transformed into bright syrup.

A foamy spoonful of Explorateur, brioche and chamomile (Honey Pot) transitions us from savory to sweet courses. The Banana Split course is fun and tasty; freeze-dried banana bites contain splashes of chocolate and cherry. A chocolate cake bite and home-made marshmallow wraps up the dish. The Root Beer Float course turns the fizzy treat into a slightly bitter and savory course with meringue, tofu and caramelized goat cheese to round it out. The beer-float porter pairing with whiskey and vanilla ice cube is the highlight of the dessert beverages. The meal ends with a take on Almond Joy – toasty, crunchy, sweet and salty.

Throughout the meal, the service staff is attentive and enthusiastic about what they serve. The pairings for each course are delightful and overall the experience is a well-crafted event by Chef Cantu.