The First Date Series takes a look at restaurants in Montreal where you might want to go -- or might not want to go -- on a first date. If you're not heading down to Old Montreal for Happening Gourmand, and you, or your date, is in the mood for Thai, you might want to try Phayathai.

After a brief hiatus from the dating world, I found myself on a double date at Phayathai on Laurier. There's no shortage of Thai food on this street - Phayathai is roughly a block away from two other more-than-decent Thai restaurants. Apparently good things do come in threes.

My date at Phayathai started out particularly awkward on account of the fact that the place was dead empty at dinnertime. I've been here on a few other occasions, and this is most often not the case. More frequently the place is about half full and has a pretty tranquil atmosphere that would actually facilitate first date conversation.

Phayathai's got a warm vibe, and the place is full of Thai-inspired ornaments. White tablecloths and elegantly folded linen napkins make the place feel a little fancy, but the blasé service does exactly the opposite. No chance of an overly attentive waiter lingering beside your table putting a damper on a first date here - for the most part our waiter was almost invisible.

In contrast to the service, the food at Phayathai was not lacking. We began with chicken and beef satay starters. Both meats were tasty and succulent, and the beef was coated in a tangy seasoning. The peanut dipping sauce that accompanied these skewers was outstanding - homemade, with a perfect crunchy to smooth ratio.

Unless requested otherwise, most of the dishes at Phayathai are served spicy. Not bombed with dried chili flakes that burn away all taste with hot hot heat, but authentically spiced with Thai chili peppers that give a flavourful zing. The green curry chicken was on the spicier side, and was permeated by the taste of Thai basil. The dish was heavy on perfectly cooked zucchini slices, and chicken pieces (the same sautéed chunks were used in all in the chicken dishes we sampled) were aplenty.
Slightly milder, the Paneang curry with tofu was excellent. The cubes of fried tofu, as well as the red, green, and yellow peppers all remained crisp - the sign of a top-notch curry in my books. Both of the curry dishes were winners - super smooth and silky, fragrant, and full of body.
The bravest member of our group ordered the sauteed chicken with onion and hot chili, and requested extra spicy. Again, with the piquante came rich flavour. A hint of sweet amidst the spicy chicken and veggies gave the dish layers of intensity.
The chicken swimming in hearty peanut sauce with crispy spinach was well-executed. The peanut sauce, though richer than the peanut dipping sauce of the satay, was also homemade and remarkable. The texture of the chicken was complimented by crunchy peanut pieces, and the crispy spinach was more savoury than the often-too-sweet version of this green.
Phayathai is a decent pick for a first date - the food's awesome but not overpriced, and you can make jokes about the mediocre service to lighten the mood. And who knows, maybe our notions of Thai sensuality will work to your advantage.

Phayathai is located at 107 Laurier Ouest and is open everyday from 11am to 2.30pm for lunch, Sunday to Wednesday from 5 pm to 10 pm, and Thursday to Saturday from 5 pm to 11 pm. Check out their website for more details.

Check out some of our other First Date ideas like the Griffintown Cafe or Cafe Prague .

Do you have suggestions for other fun first date places that Midnight Poutine should consider? Leave a comment below!