Run, do not walk, to this one. If you don't, you're missing a real gustatory experience. Alisa Cafe is the name of the new French/oriental restaurant; Tony Kanjanakorn is the wizard who's brought fine dining to Upper Darby. Tony has been, until recent time, the maitre d' at Alouette in Philadelphia where his interest in food, dining and the care of customers produced a coterie of friends. He has led them, along with his wife and the trained nephew of Alouette's chef, to the cafe. It is named after the Kanjanakoras' baby daughter. The head chef is Thai, like Tony and his wife. She creates the appetizers and desserts, the latter a specialty she honed at Frog. With apologies to the three and before we heap praise on some of the excellent dishes we tried at Alisa Cafe, a word about "praise" is in order. The downfall of any restaurant critic is to laud, too generously, the charm, the decor, the chocolate mousse of a good dining spot. When he comes upon an even better restaurant, he has no adjectives left. A reader might get confused and wonder which is best. In a month's time we have covered four memorable places: Southern Cross in Newport (R.I.), Nai's in Havertown, Newport House in Ambler, and now Afsa Cafe, in Upper Darby. Each received a favorable review: Newport House for traditional, candlelit suburban dining and delicious dishes; the others for innovative, superbly executed fare that excites the tastebuds of a seasoned diner. Each merits adjectives in its own way. No one is "best." The four also prove that you don't have to dine in the most elegant trappings or pay the highest prixe fix in town to experience "fine dining." It can surprise you in the most modest setting. The month has given us an embarrass. ment of riches. We try not to praise them too generously, but they all deserve it in our opinion. None more so than Alisa Cafe. An exceptional cold cucumber soup and steak carpaccio began our dinner. The soup, selected over cream of broccoli was slightly thick and tart with sour cream; a plethora of finely minced fresh dill enhanced it to a celestial point. Our partner spent the rest of the meal paying homage to it (although the soup will probably depart from the menu as cold weather settles in). The steak was sliced to a rosy gauze and melted in the mouth like creamy butter. It was served under a glaze of pureed watercress, with a splash of vinegar and spices, and was to us a taste sensation. With the Sliced filet were rosettes of radishes and a small mound of diced potatoes. Cooked barely past their raw, crunchy stage and marinated in a light vinaigrette, they were a delicious and surprise pairing with the beef.

Noting the other appetizers - escargots baked with mushrooms, spinach, garlic butter and Gruyere cheese, and coquille St. Jacques, a puff pastry filled with scallops in wine sauce - one realizes that Afsa Cafe is a long way from the spicy cuisine of Thailand. The staff may be Thai, but they have a natural affinity for combining ingredients and seasonings in the French fashion. To achieve the Alisa touch, Tony shops regularly at the spice shop in the Italian Market. Chicken curry, pieces of chicken breast sauteed in Thai curry sauce, is the only bow to the group's homeland at the moment. It will be, they say, neither hot nor bland until they see what customers prefer. The curry dish was one of eight entrees the night of our recent visit. They ranged from a "crisply skinned" roast duck in Gran Marnier sauce to veal scallops sauteed with morrels, a seafood combination of shrimp and scallops in tomato creme, filet mignon under a red wine sauce with green peppercorns, and the fish of the day - salmon steak sauteed in butter and served in a reduction sauce with cream and fresh basil. The choice was a difficult one in the fear that we'd miss out on something that equaled our appetizers in quality. We selected two specials, sweetbreads in Madeira sauce, and veal Normande and we were not disappointed. The sweetbreads with fresh mushrooms had been sauteed and then combined in a rich Madeira cream that gave a beady, almost smoky air to the dish. "Provocative," was the word agreed on at our table. Veal is a versatile meat, and at the cafe it was sauteed with slices of Granny Smith apples and served in a delicate meld of heavy cream, apple brandy and fresh basil. Though quite pleasing, it paled beside the plate of sweetbreads, with its wine, oregano, thyme, chives and fresh shallots. Crusty rolls, a distinctive salad of Italian arrugula and pine nuts in raspberry vinaigrette, and vegetables - undistinguished but delicate kernels of rice and sauteed carrot sticks -accompanied our entrees. There, too, was candlelight, imp peccable linen, quiet background decor, and the attentive service of Tony. Not many diners graced the small room on the rainy eve, but the staff wants very much to "start slow" and build up their business carefully. There are all sorts of plans: some refurbishing, take-out food, expansion to another floor, and, above all, adjustment to customers' preferences. (The cafe sits where the Japanese restaurant Asakura resided until it moved to Lansdowne Ave. In the same block is Le Petit Cafe, a "find" that Ethel Kramer gave kudos to in this column last year.) For dessert we reeled over a fresh fruit tart -raspberries, blueberries and strawberries in custard and crisp, fluted shell with whipped cream - and the white and chocolate mousse. The latter was a silken and creamy concoction of both flavors made the more ambrosial with Gran Marnier and fine silvers of fresh orange peel. More fresh fruits and a cappucino pie - said to be excruciatingly rich - also were offered. Rich and freshly brewed coffee - a trio of roasts that Tony has especially blended for the cafe in the Italian Market - put the finishing touches on a remarkable meal. It was one of those dining experiences that one hates to see come to an end. Alisa Cafe is currently open for dinner only, and a phone call to 352-4402 is suggested to check the schedule. For now only cash is accepted, and in lieu of a bar diners may bring their spirits with them. Our meal, by the way, came to little more than $40 for two, including tax. Appetizers range from $2.50 in price to $4.75; the salad was $2, and entrees were $2 to $14. Desserts were around $2.50 each. The restaurant is located at 109 Fairfield Ave. in Upper Darby, just off the trolley tracks. A large parking lot is located across the street. Bon appetit!