As a consequence of urban sprawl, the formalization of retail chains, as well as the shifts in food consumption patterns, the urban food system is undergoing rapid changes in emerging cities. Based on two case-studies —Hanoï (Vietnam) and Bangkok (Thailand)—, the article argues that these changes accurately reveals the social and spatial dynamics that result from the development path of emerging cities, such as increased regional integration, rising social inequalities and differentiation, and exacerbated competition over the various uses of land. Hence, food is a powerful analytical tool to examine the transformation process occurring in these cities.