As a state, Kansas is certainly not the flashiest, known as it is for flatness, taking forever to drive through and being depicted in bland black and white in “The Wizard of Oz.” This Kansas, though, “is the yellow brick road,” says my Yoo Mae server, pointing out the thick, delicious layer of yellow tobiko (flying fish roe) frosting the top of the restaurant’s Kansas sushi roll ($13.99).

Rather than bland, this roll’s tuna, salmon, yellowtail, avocado and sweet wasabi mayo highlight everything wonderful about the state, embodying a Midwest dedication to simple quality through ideally balanced texture.

It’s a dream trip to Kansas I’d gladly make again and again – and “dream” is literally the translation of this downtown sushi den’s name, Yoo Mae.

“And here I thought it was because whatever taste you please, ‘you may’ have it,” I joked.

“I make that joke every single day,” the server replied, smiling and confidently recommending his personal favorites from the list of 50 state-themed rolls.

That list is love song to America composed by sushi chef JJ, who is originally from Korea, was trained in Japan and previously worked at Fujiyama before opening Yoo Mae with partner and kitchen chef Kil in 2007. The duo has creatively distilled the essence of each American state based on their road-trip travels of the nation, including Alaska ($11.99 for crab and avocado topped with salmon).

New Mexico? A tube of crunchy, raw jalapeno stuffed with creamy spicy tuna, wrapped in bacon and deep-fried to create the ultimate sushi version of a jalapeno popper ($10.99). The Colorado ($11.99), on the other hand, uses healthy fresh veggies like cucumber and avocado as well as shrimp tempura, tuna and the vibrant color of red tomiko to represent our home state.

And if there are any disappointments among the collection, it’s not due to lack of culinary appeal. The New Jersey, for instance, plays on the Garden State label with an egg roll wrapped together with pickled carrot, sweet pumpkin, cucumber and pickled radish ($10.99), but its still incredibly satisfying if not as stunning as other choices. Who in the Pikes Peak region would claim to love that Garden State more than our vibrant, fresh Colorado, though?

Located on Kiowa, Yoo Mae occupies a sunny storefront of painted windows, decorated inside with red, glassed table tops and round, paper lanterns. The restaurant’s sign is black and pagoda-reminiscent, hinting at the Japanese flair of the menu. Aside from sushi, Yoo Mae specializes in tempura, yakisoba, udon, kastu and more –- many, many options for those who don’t go in for raw fish.

The tempura – shrimp, tofu, vegetable or calamari for $12.50-$14.50 at dinner – is especially tempting. Airy and light, the thin batter is heavenly and golden brown, and is accompanied by a sauce sweet with a vinegar tang. Almost all lunches and dinners are served with the cloudy, delicious house miso soup, but lunch is especially valuable. The bento box comes with the aforementioned tempura, salad, rice, two California rolls, cabbage and miso soup with your choice of chicken ($7.50), beef ($7.99) or salmon ($8.99).

The passion at Yoo Mae, however, is for the theme. Call it a gimmick, if you must, this state-themed menu, but honest flavor transforms gimmick into genius. Sushi chef JJ has now expanded his love of travel into a luxury-car line of rolls, meaning you can choose your virtual car for your culinary road trip. The line includes a creative McClaren MP4-12C with bacon, cheddar, avocado and egg custard deep fried and topped with miniature French fries ($11.99).

Less novel, but far more burn-your-lips-tongue-and-tonsils tasty is the current special, the Lamborghini Diablo of spicy crab, asparagus, habanero peppers and onion drizzled with eel sauce. It’s a fiery sports car I’d make room for in the garage in a heartbeat.

And I suppose it’s the heart that completely won me over in the end. The service shined with genuine affection for the work, for the food. The scooping, wrapping and chopping at the sushi bar was entertainment for hours. And that yellow brick road? It’s a tender, magical path that’s easily one of my favorite dishes in the city.

If I have any criticism to offer, it’s mild: That Yoo Mae should go ahead and create a customer loyalty card modeled on a passport, where diners get state stamps for each new roll they sample. I’d make it my personal goal to sample all 50, though I’d probably need to throw in a few more New Mexicos along the way.

The yellow-brick-road effect of the Kansas roll is created with yellow tobiko (right), while the Lamborghini Diablo (left) gets its fire from fresh habanero. Photo by Kate Jonuska

The Lamborghini Diablo rolls represent Yoo Mae’s automobile line, while the yellow Kansas is one of the most popular state-themed offerings. Photo by Kate Jonuska

Crunch into the Garden State New Jersey rolls, or visit the spicy Southwest of the New Mexico. Photo by Kate Jonuska