Authentic Italian Cuisine in Tokyo | Tharros Sardinian Restaurant - J SELECT

San Pietro is an island off the coast of Sardinia, located in the western Mediterranean Sea. Carloforte is a port town on the east side of the island, with a population of approximately 6,200 people.

San Pietro was almost uninhabited until the early 18th century, when Charles Emmanuel III, King of Sardinia, encouraged Ligurian fishermen from Tabarka to move to San Pietro Island. The island has since been imbued with Ligurian-style buildings, Ligurian cuisine, and locals with a Ligurian accent. This, combined with a touch of North African Maghreb influence, has created a culture with a unique and exotic atmosphere–earning it the nickname “Sardinian Liguria”.

San Pietro Island is also famous for its bluefin tuna, with many people visiting from all over the world for the tuna festival held every June. It’s said that much of the tuna is exported to Japan. In Carloforte, there’s no part of the tuna that goes to waste. There’s dishes ranging from tuna innards to oil-cured or salted dried red meat. We tried this Carloforte cuisine for the first time at Tharros, a restaurant in Shibuya that serves Sardinian cuisine.

The organizer of this event is the Accademia Italiana della Cucina Legazione Tokyo, a cultural institution of the Italian Republic founded in 1953, which promotes Italian food and culture.

Just like in Italy, dinner started with an appetizer served with olive salad and prosciutto, just after 8 o’clock.

Antipasti Freddi
Musciâmme di tonno all’olio d’oliva
Pesce spada affumicato con i tugumi di fiori
Barchetta di tonno (mousse di tonno e bottarga di tonno)
A Capunadda
Cascà
Tuna Prosciutto in Olive Oil
Smoked Swordfish Wrapped in Edible Flowers
Tuna Mousse and Tuna Roe
Caponata
Couscous salad

The tuna preserved in olive oil has a moist texture. I’ve never tried tuna mousse on chicory or tuna roe before.

Antipasti Caldi
Bélu con le patate a bóbba
Dried Tuna Stomach with Potato Bean Soup

Dried tuna stomach, called “bélu,” has a texture very similar to beef tripe. It’s simmered in a tomato-based sauce with potatoes. It would be great if it became more popular, even in Japan, where a lot of tuna is consumed. The bean soup is rich and delicious.

Primi
Trofie con i gamberi e le zucchine
Trofie with prawns and zucchine

Casulli alla carlofortina
Cascattelli alla carlofortina

Trofie are a type of gnocchi. They have a twisted, elongated shape and pair well with Genovese sauce. The Genovese sauce preparation came about during Sardinia’s long history when it was ruled by the Kingdom of Genoa. Cascatelli are also a type of short pasta and are popular because they cling well to sauce.

Secondi
Tonno alla carlofortina con le cipolline
Polpettine di tonno al forno con le verdure
Tuna alla Carlofortina with Onions
Oven-Baked Tuna with Vegetables

The citrusy sauce and the sweetness of the onions go well with the tuna. The roughly minced tuna is baked like a meatloaf. It pairs perfectly with the tomato sauce of the vegetables underneath.

Dolci
U gató e semifreddo di torrone
Canestrelli alla tabarchina con il moscato
Mirto e caffè
U gató and Nougat Parfait

This dessert has a moist texture like cheesecake and pairs well with red wine.

Canestrelli alla Tabarchina with Moscaton

Canestrelli are crispy flower-shaped butter cookies. They have a lemon-flavored icing, and are topped with colorful chocolate chips. There’s also an Italian snack with a sesame flavor, similar to caramel.

Wine
Tagliamare Argiolas
Vermentino di Sardegna – U Tabarka Carloforte
Niedera rosè – Zenti Arrubia
Bovale – U Tabarka Carloforte
Carignano – U Tabarka Carloforte

Tharros
Address: 1F Shibuya SEDE Building, 1-5-2 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Access: 1-minute walk from Inokashira Line Shibuya Station, 3-minute walk from JR and Tokyo Metro Shibuya Station
Hours: Lunch 12pm-3pm (Last order 2pm), Dinner: 6pm-11pm (Last order 10pm), Sat/Sun: 5:30pm-10:30pm (Last order 9:30pm)
Closed: Mondays