Eighty-five-year-old Jiro, with his unchanging expression and bald pate, resembles a wizened turtle. Leaving home at age 9 and forced to fend for himself, he would become the world's greatest sushi chef. Now he's the proprietor of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a 10-seat restaurant situated in the Tokyo subway. The eatery is so small, it doesn't have a bathroom inside. So why do patrons book meals months in advance, traveling from around the globe, spending hundreds to sample the perfection that Jiro and his 50-year-old son and heir apparent Yoshikazu dish up in the form of fish and rice? If the exquisitely photographed delicacies in David Gelb's documentary are anything to go by, the foodies may be right: I can't recall being this hungry exiting a theater. When Jiro finally cracks a smile, it comes as a small shock; he's recalling his childhood role as a bully. There's still a little of that devil in this man whose skills are heavenly.
