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With the year not even at the halfway point, there’s already been a flurry of notable restaurant openings in Ottawa. This week’s column, then, will be less of a review and more of a recap, so that foodies who delight in trying new spots can make their reservations.

The big opening of the spring is the arrival in mid-May of THRU (540 Rochester St., thru.tickit.ca), as long as the opening of a six-seat restaurant can be called big. THRU is a private dining room in Atelier, chef Marc Lepine’s much-celebrated and cutting-edge restaurant. Whereas Atelier serves a 12-course tasting menu with optional wines, THRU pushes the notion of small plates even further to serve an eclectic and surprise-filled parade of 50 savoury and then sweet items (bites, mouthfuls and cocktails, you might say). Ostrich tartare, grill-it-yourself A5 (top-quality) Wagyu beef, snail caviar, freeze-dried “astronaut-style” cardamom ice cream and more are testaments to Lepine’s creativity, technique and generosity. Having eaten at THRU on its opening night at Lepine’s invitation, I can tell you that the experience is deeply immersive, unique and highly enjoyable if food’s your thing. Snagging that reservation, however, is not easy. At the beginning of each month, tickets for THRU, priced at $400, including fees and tip, become available online. It’s a bit of a hoop to jump through, but it’s worth it.