Chef Saif Rahman’s new restaurant at The Exchange offers a unique, globally inspired menu informed by his travels 
by Catherine Currin | photography by Forrest Mason

Saif Rahman has traveled near and far — and the food he likes to cook reflects his journeys. His new restaurant, Peregrine, offers a hint of what’s to come through its name: a peregrine is a powerful migratory falcon, but its name is derived from the Latin word for “traveler” or “foreigner.” Born in Bangladesh and raised in New York City, Rahman has lived in Raleigh since 1998. “It’s just like back home,” he says. “People here have the same love of ingredients and hospitality, the only difference is that they speak a different language.”

Rahman was the opening chef at Vidrio on Glenwood South when it opened in 2017, after working around the Triangle at 21c’s Counting House and The Mayton Inn. But he had always dreamed of opening his own restaurant one day. A few years ago, he met entrepreneur Patrick Shanahan, a hospitality vet best known for developing Watts & Ward, the giant speakeasy-style bar near Moore Square. “I was searching for my own space and somehow God put Patrick in my life,” Rahman says.   

The two found connection and common ground, having deep conversations about their spirituality and admiration for their respective grandmothers, who hosted and made meals for their families regularly throughout their childhood. “We wanted to share the love for cooking and hospitality our grandmothers passed on to us,” Rahman says. “No matter where you are from, the color of your skin or your faith, we’re still the same in so many ways.”  

As a site for Peregrine, they took a chance and signed on as one of the first tenants of The Exchange, a mixed-use development by Dewitt Carolinas at the edge of North Hills. “There’s something nice about starting on a blank canvas,” says Shanahan, who had previously upfit historic spaces like the Montague Building on Hargett Street. (He also recently announced a second location in the building, Capulet Cocktail Club, adjacent to Peregrine.) They brought on Khoi Trong Ha as pastry chef and recently added seasoned bartender Zack Thomas as beverage director.

Shanahan, an artist by trade, took charge of creating a modern, intentional design scheme for Peregrine. Patio seating and floor-to-ceiling windows draw guests into the space, where they’re greeted by a moody bar finished in fluted black wood, a tantalizing peek into the kitchen behind its shelves. “Saif wanted an open kitchen that could be seen,” says Shanahan. Dining spaces done in black, white and natural wood flank the bar, and there’s a tucked-away private room for intimate dining. But don’t let the decor fool you, says Rahman: “We’re not a fine dining restaurant. Just because we have a refined experience doesn’t mean anyone can’t come and enjoy it. We want to be welcoming and encourage you to be adventurous.”

Rahman’s menu is inspired by his family recipes, the melting pot of living in New York and, most of all, travel. To wit: on the menu, the small plates are styled as “Arrivals,” sides as “Journeys,” larger plates as “Wanderings” and desserts as “Departures.” (Cocktails, fortunately, are just called “Cocktails” lest the imbiber get confused, but digestifs are “Farewells.”) “I want people to come to Peregrine with an open mind and enjoy the journey through our menu,” says Rahman. “Peregrine is an extension of our home, and you’ll feel that from the moment you walk into our door.”

Nods to the American South and Bangladesh are evident throughout the menu, along with influences from Peru, Columbia and Mexico. The Country Store, for example, is an appetizer inspired by Rahman’s visit to a gas station in Castalia, North Carolina. It’s a take on a deviled egg that starts with pickled eggs, served with boiled peanuts, lamb bacon and ribboned celery for a surprisingly upscale dish. “These are common, beloved snacks that we presented in a new way,” says Rahman.

There’s a Pulao, a Middle Eastern dish where rice is cooked with meat, vegetables and spices, made with Carolina Gold rice sourced from Tidewater Grain Co. in Oriental. “There will always be a Carolina Gold rice Pulao on the menu,” says Rahman. The Bengali Wedding Chicken is a chicken thigh and leg in a creamy, spiced, decadent sauce. It’s served with the foot still attached, which comes as a surprise to most guests, but adds to the sense of adventure. Other dishes reflect the cultures Rahman has an affinity for: the chicken crackling is his spin on a pork rind (he does not eat pork nor serve it on the menu at Peregrine); the Carne Asada is a nod to his wife’s Mexican heritage, served with mole sauce and charred onion; the trout, sourced from the North Carolina mountains, has a French slant with a beurre blanc sauce. “Peregrine is Saif’s love letter to family, food and the places that shaped him,” says Shanahan. The Peregrine team visits the NC State Farmers Market daily and sources the majority of the menu from local and regional producers, changing dishes seasonally.

And while Rahman is of Bengali heritage, the two want to dispel the misconception that Peregrine is a Bengali restaurant. “People like me came to America for a better life and brought their culture here,” Rahman says. “By incorporating cuisines from the many places I’ve been, I’m telling my version of the American story.” 

This article originally appeared in the November 2025 issue of WALTER magazine.