How new Hong Kong restaurant Osteria Uno is authentically Italian in every way but one

Osteria Uno, a new restaurant in Tai Kok Tsui in Kowloon, serves up everything one would want from a casual Italian eatery. The decor is rustic chic, the prices are reasonable, and the flavours of the pizza and pasta are traditional and classic. About the only thing not authentically Italian is the chef.

Behind the kitchen is Bhupendra Singh, who was born in India but developed his craft over the past decade in Hong Kong’s restaurant scene.

Among the many restaurants on his résumé are the exacting and high-pressure kitchens of celebrated chefs such as Gordon Ramsay, Mario Batali and Enrico Bartolini.

Singh came to Hong Kong in 2012 after being hired by the Dining Concepts group. His first gig was at Blue Smoke Bar-B-Que, where he dealt with “big pieces of barbecue, whole pigs and whole briskets”.

Expanding his international repertoire, the young chef also did turns at the Peruvian restaurant Mayta, modern European bar and restaurant Dear Lilly, and British venue Duck & Waffle.

But it was at Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen, Batali’s Lupa and Fiamma by Enrico Bartolini – where Singh was eventually promoted to head chef – that he found places to really develop his Italian cooking skills.