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We spent three long years searching the Westside for sushi that was not only good, but also not extraordinarily overpriced for what you get. Our search ends at Ninjin.

The service is pleasant, the fish is fresh, the sushi is reasonably sized, and the lunchtime sushi combination is a sight to behold. It’s composed of six pieces of nigiri sushi — tuna, salmon, halibut, yellowtail, octopus and snapper — with miso soup and a choice of a California roll or spicy tuna roll. The snapper has an unusual presentation: it’s topped with onions, pepper and a wonderful vinegary sauce.

Pretty good for $10.95, eh? You can also order sushi a la carte, but it almost seems silly to do that at lunchtime since a two-piece order is about $3.50 (not bad for dinner, though). Also available are various salads and bentos and variations on udon, but we go there for the sushi.

Ninjin’s signature dish is spicy monkey balls, which are jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese, spicy tuna and more jalapenos, and then deep-fried and drizzled with ponzu sauce. They are delicious.

When a Ninjin regular was asked if he had anything special he wanted to say about Ninjin, he simply replied, “It is the BESTEST EVER.” Go forthwith.

Ninjin, 607 Colorado Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90402. 310-451-9800.

By Maribeth (see more of her posts).