CHEF SAIF RAHMAN

EXECUTIVE CHEF/PARTNER

Saif was born in Bangladesh, migrated to New York City in 1992, and eventually found his way ‘home’ to Raleigh, North Carolina, Together with artist Patrick Shanahan, Saif opened his first restaurant, Peregrine, where he explores the cuisines of his multicultural path, offering a personal perspective on “first generation American food.”

Before opening Peregrine, Rahman made a name for himself as the award-winning Executive Chef of Raleigh’s Mediterranean-focused Vidrio. In 2021, he earned the coveted North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association “Chef of the Year” award, and was tapped by the State Department to represent North Carolina in Doha, Qatar as part of the Arts Envoy Program – a cultural diplomacy program where he demonstrated how a meal can bridge divides.

His unique life journey is the inspiration for much of his culinary work. Originally from Sylhet – a Muslim region known for its tea gardens, rice fields, and fruit trees, Rahman’s formative years in South Asia where his mother and grandmother prepared meals in a clay oven were among his most memorable; this is when his love of cooking first took hold.

At the young age of 10, his family immigrated to the United States, and while living in Queens, where his father was a taxicab driver, he became immersed in American life, and was exposed to cuisines from all cultures. It was here, as a teen, that he had his first restaurant job, in his uncle’s now closed Indian restaurant, Akbar, in Addison, New Jersey.

In 1998, at age 17, Rahman’s family relocated to North Carolina for “fresher air and a better quality of life.” During his teenage years, he worked in a variety of restaurants as a means to support his family.

As a young adult, it didn’t take long for Rahman to follow his passion and enroll in the renowned Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyon, France. To bolster his culinary career, he staged for the 3-Michelin Star restaurant Grace in Chicago before joining the 21c Museum Hotel’s opening team for the Counting House restaurant in Durham. As Sous Chef, and then Executive Sous Chef, he sharpened his appreciation for North Carolina’s agriculture, and became well versed in local farms and ingredients. Rahman worked alongside award-winning Chef Ricky Moore at Spice Street and was the opening chef at

The Mayton Inn before LM Restaurants recruited him as Chef de Cuisine, and promoted him to lead their bold new fine dining restaurant Vidrio. There, he earned rave reviews in his first role as Executive Chef for his Mediterranean dishes featuring North Carolina ingredients.

Inspiration for Rahman comes from his original home in Bangledesh, his new home in North Carolina, and from other corners of the globe, thanks to the many cuisines he experienced while living in the melting pot of Queens, when visiting family in Kenya, and from his wife’s Mexican heritage – to name a few.

In addition to serving the community as a chef, Rahman has also lent his talent to humanitarian efforts, including work in Haiti with Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen and raising $300,000 for Ukraine while at Vidrio.

“Our most valuable commodities in this life are love and time,” he explains. “Whether preparing meals for victims in crisis, or diners in a Michelin star kitchen, I always cook with my heart like it’s my last opportunity to provide someone a sense of comfort, luxury, and ultimately love.”