SINGAPORE — A Singapore bistro in Serangoon Road has been making waves overseas, all thanks to a viral video of its signature drink, the Goblet of Fire.

Platform 1094, run by Kelvin Tan and his wife, Jaz, caught the attention of British website The LAD Bible last month. The LAD Bible made a video compilation of people sampling the Goblet of Fire — a heady brew which is ignited upon being served — as well as of the menu, harvesting photos and videos from users on Instagram. The compilation, posted on the website’s Facebook page, has garnered over 19 million views.

Platform 1094, with its menu offerings that reference the famous Harry Potter books and films, has caught the attention of Australian travel guide book publisher Lonely Planet and New York American-based lifestyle and beauty website Refinery29, winning rave reviews.

Tan, 33, who is also an adjunct lecturer at Singapore Polytechnic’s business school, says that the unexpected attention has led to Platform 1094 being booked out.

“Reservations for dinner are filled for at least two weeks in advance,” he said. The 40-seat bistro soft launched in December and averaged between 150 to 200 visitors a day in its first month of business.

Tourists, says Tan, make up about 20 per cent of Platform’s clientele. He has seen visitors, generally aged from 20 to 30, stream in from countries such as Australia, America, Germany and India.

The Harry Potter-esque theme, and the lure of unusual cocktails, have been crowd favourites, said Tan.

For Tan, who runs the business with his wife, Jaz, 31, it’s a badge of honour to be able to be a draw for those visiting the country.

Tan says that Platform 1094 — the number is the address of the cafe on Serangoon Road — is meant to be a “platform where all fans of wizards and witches gather for good food and great fun”.

Tan and Jaz enjoy playing games and watching films that are magic-related and filled with mystical creatures, as well as witches and wizards. The restaurant, which has brick walls, rustic wooden furniture and chandeliers, was initially not meant to be skewed towards the Potter world.

He added: “Our intention was to have a general wizard and witch theme, and Harry Potter was just part of this entire theme.”

The famed Goblet of Fire drink, too, was named only after the drink — made using blue curacao liqueur, lemonade and Bacardi rum, with cinnamon powder added to create its flame-like effect — was the brainchild of Platform’s head bartender, Iris Sng.

However, if you visit the cafe, know that the name has now been changed to Mr Lich’s Flaming Brew. That’s to reference Platform 1094’s new props booth, Mrs Lich’s Store, that was introduced last month. At the Store, diners will find props like wizard hats and wands, which they’ll be able to borrow and use for spontaneous photo ops.

“We thought it would be interesting to have a props section for our diners to get into the mood of wizardry,” said Tan.

The Tans are also the people behind Fresh Fruit Labs (FFL), a popular cafe along Changi Road which opened in 2013. FFL is where the Tans first experimented with themes, and food is given a laboratory-like feel as food and beverage presentations can include beakers and conical flasks.

Platform 1094 currently offers more than 30 dishes ranging from S$20 to S$30. Tan recommends their crab meat pasta garnished with smoked salmon and flying fish roe.

“It is one of my personal favourites as you’ll get a nice crunch of the roe in between bites,” he said.

Online, what diners are shooting are the stunning desserts, BloodBerry, for instance, makes for a tasty and snap-worthy option. Comprising two chocolate shells, they are filled with Hoegaarden Rosee mousse with berry foam as well as yoghurt parfait with honey caviar. It also comes with a chocolate wand.

A new drink – Mrs Lich’s Butterscotch Ale – was introduced on Jan 20, and is a pretty concoction of cream soda and butterscotch foam milk, garnished with small edible colored stars.

“We are consistently brainstorming for new dishes and drinks. We are constantly re-dressing place. Every week has been different since the start,” Tan said.

Platform 1094 is located at 1094 Serangoon Road and opens from 11am to 10pm from Tuesdays to Fridays and 10am to 10pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Closed on Mondays. Call 6204 6003.