I tasted a Fillet O’Jellyfish – and McDonald’s needs to add it to its official menu immediately

With popular fish like cod, salmon and prawns on the brink of extinction from overfishing, it’s no secret that we are in desperate need of alternative seafood options.

Now, a trendy London eatery may have an appetizing alternative. 

Kitchen Theory, a ‘multi-sensory’ restaurant led by chef Jozef Youssef, is offering ‘Fillet O’Jellyfish’ as part of its £240 eight-course menu. 

A tribute to the iconic McDonald’s item, it features a jellyfish patty, fermented cucumber relish and a slice of sesame cheese in a milk bun. 

I spent an evening at Kitchen Theory to try the dish, which comes with a side of ‘fries and coke’, albeit with a twist. 

Fillet O’Jellyfish is served with fries made of millet – an underused and drought-resistant crop that’s rich in protein. 

And instead of Coca-Cola’s classic coke, it’s washed down with a retro glass bottle of kombucha cola. 

If jellyfish burgers ever make it to the high street, I think they’d make a welcome addition – and a vast improvement on McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish. 

The McDonald’s-style dish features a Jellyfish patty, fermented cucumber relish and a slice of sesame cheese in a milk bun

Hidden away on a Holborn back street, Kitchen Theory offers evening ‘supper clubs’ a few times a month, where diners eat in union around a communal table and watch chefs at work.

Using overhead projectors and speakers, each course is accompanied by a unique sound and vision experience to increase the sense of immersion.

As speakers start emitting the sound of gently crashing waves, our table top transforms into a pristine ocean blue as we’re served the quirky creation. 

According to chef Youssef – who worked at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck before founding Kitchen Theory in 2010 – Fillet O’Jellyfish imagines what we could be eating in 10 or 20 years’ time. 

‘This dish was aimed at finding a way to deliver jellyfish as part of a familiar meal to improve likability,’ chef Youssef said.

‘We achieved this by designing around a well-known food format – fast food.’ 

Jellyfish has been a popular food in Asia for thousands of years, but it has never really taken off in the west.

However, with common species like cod, salmon, tuna and prawns now overfished and in danger of disappearing, jellyfish may be an ideal substitute. 

Fillet O’Jellyfish is one of eight courses being served at Kitchen Theory’s eight course supper club, which also includes sous vide guinea fowl and Saudi Arabian date pudding

Using overhead projectors and Bang & Olufsen speakers, each course is accompanied with a unique sound and vision experience to increase the sense of immersion 

Hidden away on a Holburn back street, Kitchen Theory offers evening ‘supper clubs’ a few times a month – where diners eat in union around a communal table and watch chefs at work

Scientists say there are too many of the gelatinous creatures in the sea, while we have an ever-increasing number of mouths to feed on the Earth.  

Fillet O’Jellyfish comes served with fries made of millet, and kombucha cola.

I start with the millet fries, which have a really robust, grainy flavour – a stark contrast to McDonald’s horrible, floppy potato fries. 

As for the burger itself, it’s surprisingly familiar – and not just because of the tangy relish, which is just like tartare sauce.

The closest thing I can compare the jellyfish to is raw fish or salmon served inside sushi rolls. 

In fact, I wouldn’t have known I was eating jellyfish at all if I hadn’t been told – and I suspect most fast food fans wouldn’t either. 

Admittedly, the McDonald’s original is made from Alaskan pollock – a solid choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under US regulations.

But an alternative made from jellyfish could be a more ethical option. 

McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish is made from Alaskan pollock – a solid choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under US regulations. It was created in 1962 by a McDonald’s franchise owner in a mainly Catholic part of Cincinnati, Ohio, in response to declining hamburger sales on Fridays due to the practice of abstaining from meat on that day

Similar to the McDonald’s tray liner, Kitchen Theory has placed an informative slip of paper underneath my burger telling me more about what I’ve just eaten. 

‘Jellyfish do not have traditional sensory organs like hearts, brains or bones,’ it says. ‘Instead, they have nerve nets and specialised cells to detect changes in their environment.’ 

According to the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), a sustainable approach to fishing jellyfish would be ‘essential’ if the UK were to develop a taste for them.

‘In many Asian countries, jellyfish are a delicacy, often enjoyed in salads and stir-fries,’ Gareth Cunningham, director of conservation and policy at MCS, told MailOnline. 

‘If we in the UK were to develop a taste for jellyfish, we’d need to put restrictions in place to make sure we don’t catch too many. 

‘Fished in an ocean-friendly way though, jellyfish could offer a sustainable source of protein.

‘Lion’s mane, moon and barrel jellyfish are all found in our seas and edible when prepared correctly.’ 

Other weird but wonderful dishes on show at Kitchen Theory tonight are a starter of a jagged tapioca crisp paired with a plump spiced jackfruit doughnut.

Pictured, Kitchen Theory’s starter of a jagged tapioca crisp paired with a plump spiced jackfruit donut – the chef’s tribute to the bouba-kiki effect

‘Disgust’ is the main course at Kitchen Theory: Sous vide guinea fowl dish with a beetroot stencil of Apple founder Steve Jobs

This is the chef’s tribute to the bouba-kiki effect – the psychological tendency to associate round shapes with the word ‘bouba’ and spiky shapes with the word ‘kiki’.

The main course is a guinea fowl dish called ‘Disgust’ with a beetroot stencil of various controversial celebrities, global leaders and tech founders, including Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Steve Jobs. 

There’s also an intensely-flavoured Saudi Arabian date pudding and a dish of jersey royal potatoes served with a bizarre woodland accompaniment, including soil aromas emanating from a bucket. 

Ingeniously, placemats are simply circles of bright light from the overhead projectors – a welcome change from the dimly-lit restaurants where I can hardly see what I’m eating. 

Chef Youssef has worked closely with Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at Oxford University, to help diners appreciate the difference between taste and flavour.

Diners also learn first hand how all of the five senses – taste, smell, touch, sight and sound – influence how our brain perceives food. 

‘We guide you through an 8-course tasting menu and drinks showcasing culinary creativity inspired by art, nature and the science of multisensory flavour perception,’ Kitchen Theory says on its website. 

‘This memorable dining experience is brought to life with the aid of audio, lighting, table projections, aromas, and textures to give you a unique multisensory and immersive evening.’ 

Kitchen Theory’s £240 supper club, open to the public several times per month, is available to book on the restaurant’s website.