Lee Ho Fook spin-off Lawyers, Guns and Money is (almost) go

The opening of a breakfast-serving sister venue to Lee Ho Fook – chef Victor Liong's prog-Chinese restaurant is named, like this new project, for a Warren Zevon song – is good news for congee fans everywhere.

The minor bad news? Liong just discovered one gas booster is busted.

It's not a disaster, just a minor setback for the project which, to be fair, had an ambitious turnaround. Liong only got the keys last week, and after a brisk retooling, he had planned to open for lunch on February 10.

But your pre-work crab congee dreams are on hold only until Monday, when Lawyers Guns and Money will open for breakfast and lunch, five days a week, albeit with a limited menu.

For those just tuning in, the entire pitch of the daytime op is Asian breakfast and lunch – mostly Chinese, with some Taiwanese cold cuts thrown in, all with Liong's particular fresh skew.

From Monday you can get congee, that broken rice porridge, as a plain, chicken and ginger, or crab and scallop version, which you can pimp out with 62-degree or lime-cured century egg, fried wontons or oysters.

The cold cuts, including the rolled pork belly you may recognise from Lee Ho Fook with hot mustard and chilli oil, will make the opening day list, as will Dr Marty's crumpets – one of the only Melbourne breakfast concessions. There's a 75 per cent chance of the fried bread with condensed milk and Milo being ready to roll, but the spring onion pancake and steamed tofu will come later, when all hobs are burning.

Lunch, cooked by head chef Mike Li (Lee Ho Fook's sous) currently reads as fast and casual, which should bring back a little of the get-in-get-out energy from when Lee Ho Fook was located on Smith Street. All signs are pointing to a speedy lunch of wok-tossed noodles (which Liong has always refused to do at Lee Ho Fook) with braised brisket and greens, or a vegetarian version of wheat noodles with spicy Sichuan oil. Maybe padron peppers, or fried chicken wings done Shandong-style with black vinegar caramel, or steamed barramundi (though this falls into the "we'll see how service goes pile.")

Dinner might happen. Anything could, really. Liong moves as fast as he talks. For now - unusually - one of the only certainties is that there will be drinks, as the license is ready to roll.

At breakfast, your hair of the dog will take the form of vodka and fresh squeezed apple juice rather than a bloody mary. It's an aggressively refreshing carte overall of
Tsingtao beer and Lucky Duck cider, French 75s and a clutch of bright Australian wines.

Set your Monday alarms.

Open Mon-Fri 7.30am-4pm.

505 Little Collins Street, Melbourne