The Shibuya branch of this Osaka tofu-maker is clearly aimed at a youngish audience, with flashy decor and relatively low prices. Abutting the trendy Wired Diner (alongside the JR tracks in Sakuragaokacho) it has a gorgeous interior, with a pebbly pathway meandering past a tiny pond and water-floating ikebana. The main dining area follows an interesting multi-level plan with semi-private nooks perched above the main rooms.

The food menu is nowhere near as exciting as the space, however - it's mostly traditional tofu dishes with very few creative touches. The juicy deep-fried chicken with crunchy black-bean crust and the deep-fried yuba chips were high points, but many other dishes were just run-of-the-mill, and the tempting-sounding kimchee salad was mysteriously devoid of kimchee. The small sake list seemed to be chosen on the basis of obscurity, and service was notably lacking in several distinct ways. The a la carte menu here could actually benefit from the addition of one or two well-assembled set meals.

Sora no Niwa also has a similarly glitzy new branch in Ebisu (03-5798-7331).